Deubrook Area's boys and girls lead the way by sweeping the Class B 3,200-meter relays

Roger Merriam, Watertown Public Opinion

SIOUX FALLS — Deubrook Area swept the Class B boys' and girls' 3,200-meter relays and Ipswich's Trevor Heinz won the Class B boys' long jump Thursday to spearhead the performance of area athletes in the opening day of the South Dakota State Track and Field Championships.

The three-day meet at Howard Wood Field concludes on Saturday.

Deubrook Area won the Class B boys' 3,200 relay in 8:17.67 with runners Charlie Olsen, Landen Johnson, Jaxon Quail and Gavin Landmark.

Makenna Ekern, Kylee Johnson, Kadence Bowne and Nora Olsen teamed to win the Class B girls' 3,200 in 9:47.11 for the Dolphins.

Heinz won the Class B boys' long jump with a leap of 22 feet, 6.75 inches.

Other area medalists, by division, on Thursday included:

Medalists in the Class AA girls high jump, from left, Ciara Frank of Aberdeen Central, Jayuaunna Stroh of Brandon Valley, Madison Hochstetter of Aberdeen Central, Meredith Hruby of Harrisburg, Reese Munger of Watertown and Nyariek Kur of Sioux Falls Washington stand on the podum during the opening day of the South Dakota High School Track and Field Championships on Thursday, May 23, 2024 at Howard Wood Field in Sioux Falls. Stroh won and Frank second. Hochstetter and Hruby each tied for third and Munger and Kur tied for fifth.

Class AA Boys

Watertown senior Owen Spartz fell short in his bid for a third-straight state title in the pole vault. He did, however, eclipse his own school record by clearing 15 feet, 10 inches on the way to a runner-up finish.

Spartz missed three times at 16-4 and Beau Karst of Harrisburg added to his all-time state record by making the height. Tommy Foley of Watertown tied for eighth in the event by clearing 12-10.

Juven Hudson added a fifth-place finish in the high jump (6-2) for Watertown.

Jett Carlson took fourth in the javelin (156-3) for Aberdeen Central. Avery Ligon, Eli Biegler, Colby Dauwen and David VanVeen combined for a fourth-place finish in the medley relay (3:37.75).

Deubrook Area won the Class B boys' 3,200-meter relay in a time of 8:17.67 during the opening day of the South Dakota High School Track and Field Championships on Thursday, May 23, 2024 at Howard Wood Field in Sioux Falls. Runners, from left, included Landen Johnson, Jaxon Quail, Gavin Landmark and Charlie Olsen.
Deubrook Area won the Class B boys' 3,200-meter relay in a time of 8:17.67 during the opening day of the South Dakota High School Track and Field Championships on Thursday, May 23, 2024 at Howard Wood Field in Sioux Falls. Runners, from left, included Landen Johnson, Jaxon Quail, Gavin Landmark and Charlie Olsen.

Class AA Girls

Reese Munger of Watertown and Ciara Frank and Madison Hochstetter of Aberdeen Central each placed in the high jump.

Frank led the way by finished second at 5-4. Hochsetter tied for third (also at 5-4) and Munger tied for fifth at 5-2.

Watertown Pole Vaulter Owen Spartz: Arrow standout seeking to become school's first three-time AA boys' pole vault champion

Class A Boys

Milbank's boys took second in the medley relay (3:38.4) with runners Jayden Johnson, Emett Hanson, Bryan Meyer and Payton Brown and third in the 3,200 (8;17.87) with James Batchelor, Meyer, Beckham Berry and Brown.

Johnson also took third (14-7) and teammate Samuel Rick seventh (12-9) in the pole vault.

Sioux Valley took fourth in the 3,200 (8:21.31) with runners Brock Christopherson, Carson Wosje, Brady Hiltunen and Mitchell Guthmiller.

Tri-State took seventh in the medley (3:42.13) with runners Leonel Chavez, Austin Jonason, Owen Wood and Kaleb Foltz).

Robert Begalka of Deuel (fifth) and Matthew Mount of Webster Area (sixth) also placed in the discus.

Sadie Johnson of Estelline-Hendricks placed fourth in the Class A girls pole vault and seventh in the long jump during the opening day of the South Dakota High School Track and Field Championships on Thursday, May 23, 2024 at Howard Wood Field in Sioux Falls.
Sadie Johnson of Estelline-Hendricks placed fourth in the Class A girls pole vault and seventh in the long jump during the opening day of the South Dakota High School Track and Field Championships on Thursday, May 23, 2024 at Howard Wood Field in Sioux Falls.

Class A Girls

Sadie Johnson of Estelline-Hendricks had agood day. She placed fourth in the pole vault (10-7) and seventh in the long jump (16-3.5).

Jacy Dexter of Milbnk was fifth and MaKia Moe of Deuel sixth (107) and Maggie Kruger of Milbank tied for sevnth (10-1) in the pole vault.

Groton Area placed eighth in the 3,200 relay (1`0:01.34). Runners included Taryn and Faith Traphagen, Ryelle Gilbert and Kella Tracy).

Kelsey Hofer, Johanna Vandersnick, Cadence Bochek and Kamryn Nesheim led Clark-Willow Lake to sixth place in the medley (4:24.14). Mobridge-Pollock (with runners Jacy Netterville, Jayda and Ryli Thompson and Heidi Olson) took eighth in 4:24.49.

Trevor Heinz of Ipswich won the Class B boys long jump (22-6.75) and anchored the Tigers' 400-meter relay team to the fastest time (44.10) in the prelims during the opening day of the South Dakota High School Track and Field Championships on Thursday, May 23, 2024 at Howard Wood Field in Sioux Falls.
Trevor Heinz of Ipswich won the Class B boys long jump (22-6.75) and anchored the Tigers' 400-meter relay team to the fastest time (44.10) in the prelims during the opening day of the South Dakota High School Track and Field Championships on Thursday, May 23, 2024 at Howard Wood Field in Sioux Falls.

Class B Boys

Other indivdual-event place winners included Landon Larson of Potter County, second in the long jump (21-5.25); Grant Wilkinson of De Smet, fourth in the shot put (47-9.75); Dustin Wurtz of Leola, fifth in the shot put (47-5.25); Ty Boekelheide of Northwestern third (42-4.5), George Jensen of De Smet fourth (42-0.25), Jake Jorenby of Deubook Area fifth (41-8.75) and Dylan Hofer of Aberdeen Christian seventh (41-6.25) in the triple jump.

Frederick Area took sixth in the 3,200 relay (8:38.68). Runners were Gavin Nickelson, Noah Kippley and Milo and Brayden Sumption.

Northwestern finished third (3:45.75) in the medley with runners NJathan Melius, Boekelheide, Josh Thorson and Lincoln Woodring and Wilmot sixth (3:49.57) with runners Keitrick Genia, Jaxen Dockter, Kolby Haubris and Ethan Schwenn.

Class B Girls

Potter County took fourth (10:05.34) and Frederick Area fifth (10:09.27) behind Deubrook Area in the 3,200 relay. Dannika Kaup, Finlee Heier, Jadyn Ahlemeier and Emma Schlachter ran for PC and Jillian Ellwein, Sofia Losure and Laura and Morgan Sumption for Frederick Area.

Deubrook Area was second (4:22.98) with runners Akasha Gorecki, Bowne, Johnson and Olsen; Potter County fourth (4:26.39) with Megan Seurer, Kayden Cronin, Kaup and Schlachter; Frederick Area fifth (4:31.29) with Losure, L. Sumption, Ellwein and M. Sumption; and Sunshine Bible Academy eighth (4:31.98) with Tessa Hinman, Dakota Boersma, Abby Hinman and Betra Amare in the medley relay.

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Hadlee Holt of Iroquois-Lake Preston took third in the shot put (37-5.75). Abigail Lee of Britton-Hecla finished third (34-4.5), Emma Schneider of Hitchcock-Tulare fifth (33-5.75), Maggie Fites of Aberdeen Christian seventh (33-4) and Cronin eighth (33-2.75) in the triple jump.

For complete results, vists athletic.net.

Follow Watertown Public Opinion sports reporter Roger Merriam on X (formerly known as Twitter) @PO_Sports or email: rmerriam@thepublicopinion.com

This article originally appeared on Watertown Public Opinion: Highlights from area athletes in the state high school track and field meet

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